


Abyss

by katherineandchompers (greendaisy)



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25300291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greendaisy/pseuds/katherineandchompers
Summary: Falling in love with Nat Sewell doesn't feel like falling at all. Short fluff, for Wayhaven Week 2020.
Relationships: Female Detective/Natalie "Nat" Sewell
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Abyss

Falling in love with Nat Sewell doesn't feel like falling at all. It feels like wading into a hot tub. Nat is stable and warm. She allows Louise to take things at her own pace, and it works. It works because Nat doesn't need to change.

People change their behavior when they take an interest in someone. They are more attentive and compassionate toward the people they care for. Nat has changed too, but she was already plenty compassionate, and attentive, and capable, and brilliant— the list could go on forever if Louise allowed herself the opportunity.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Nat asks gently. Her voice drags Louise back to the present situation. Another day, another long, meandering walk to the car. Even Ava is starting to get accustomed to them, according to Farah. That’s saying something, given that the first time it took more than 10 minutes for Nat come back to the warehouse, she had come out scouting under the assumption they were in danger.

The new moon makes the sky a particularly deep black tonight. A smattering of stars is the only source of light this far out into the forest. Nat bumps her hand against Louise's and their fingers slot together almost of their own accord, like magnets drawn to one another.

“What do you see when you look at the sky?” Louise asks, glancing up. 

“The sky?” Nat appraises the evening with a smile. “I think the stars look beautiful, and the company I am viewing them with even more so.”

The compliment makes Louise’s heart race. Trust has never come easy to Louise, but Nat's intentions are almost always honest even when her words are not. It is more than Louise can expect from just about anyone else.

“And you?” Nat probes. “What do you see when you look at the sky?”  
  
“The kind of darkness that people can drown in,” Louise answers. It is cynical, sure, but she is honest because Nat deserves honesty in return. Louise has always been afraid of drowning, and she appreciates how much more difficult it is to drown in the crystal-clear waters of a hot tub than the uneven, murky depths of a lake.

“The darkness is the reason we can see the stars so clearly.”

“That’s true.” Louise shakes her head, but she cannot help but smile. Of course, Nat would look at abyssal darkness and only see how much brighter it makes the stars. "I'm jealous,” she mentions after a moment.

“Of what?” Nat’s expression creases with concern. She draws the two of them to a gentle stop, and her free hand rests softly on Louise’s upper arm.

“Of you, in a way. I wish I could see the world the way that you do. And I know I won't. I won't ever see the good in things the way you do but..." Louise trails off, cheeks flushing with heat. “I want to protect it for you.”

Louise can barely see more than a vague outline of Nat’s form in the dark, but she can _feel_ her full attention on her. It's intense, but all there is to it is affection. "I think there is beauty in the way you see the world as well."

"You do?" Louise's eyes widen in surprise. Nat steps in, drawing the two of them even closer together. She tried to _pull_ Louise closer once. She has never done it since, and she’s never mentioned it beyond a single double-take when Louise responded badly in the moment. There have been a thousand little moments just like this, Louise calls them trials in her head, that can demonstrate what a person wants, why, and how much. Somehow, after three centuries of living, Natalie Sewell is empirically more honest and genuine than anyone else she has ever met.

"Of course," Nat says. "It takes an amazingly strong person to see the world for its flaws and still care for it the way you do."

Three thoughts hit Louise like a ton of bricks:

  1. She might not feel this way about anyone else ever again.
  2. She does not want to.
  3. That is not nearly as terrifying as it should be.




End file.
